Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Braces are an investment in your smile. When your
teeth reach a desired straightness, you’ll have a beautiful smile, but it’s
important to keep it that way! You can accomplish this with a retainer.

A retainer is a small, custom-fit device that reinforces the new position of
your teeth after your braces are removed. But for many patients, especially the
youngest ones, wearing a retainer may seem like an annoyance. So exactly how
long after your braces come off should you wear your retainer?

Graduation of Wear Time

When we remove your braces, we will evaluate the condition of the bone
structure surrounding your teeth and determine how well it is adjusting to the
new position of your teeth. For the first few months, we may require you to wear
your retainer both day and night, except during meal times and for brushing and
flossing.

As the bone and gum tissues adjust to your new smile, we may determine that
you need to wear your retainer only at night. After about one year of wearing
the retainer every night, you may be able to take a couple of nights off each
week.
However, we do not recommend ever stopping permanently. To best secure
the position of the teeth, especially through future extractions and oral health
changes, wearing your retainer a few nights a week will be necessary for many
years.

Considerations

If you are concerned about your appearance when you wear a retainer, there
are many that can be worn discreetly. You could choose a clear plastic one that
is less obvious during the months immediately following removal of your braces.
When you change to night wear only, clear wire retainers are available for
minimal visibility as well.

Remember, wearing your retainer is an investment in your smile. If you fail
to wear it consistently, the tissues that support your teeth will be
unsupported, and you may begin to experience noticeable shifting. You’ve worked
hard to get that beautiful smile — your retainer will let you keep it!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

When the time to remove your braces finally arrives, it is very exciting. Unfortunately, it can be somewhat confusing, too, because you are faced with choosing between two kinds of retainers. Should you go with permanent, removable, or a combination of the two? It is always wise to follow your orthodontist’s recommendations, but knowing more about the two types of retainer beforehand can be helpful.Removable RetainersRemovable retainers offer the advantage of easy use: you will generally put a removable retainer in at night and take it out in the morning. Regardless of your retainer schedule, you’ll be able to enjoy some time with no retainer. However, a removable retainer can easily be forgotten at times, and this means you won’t be taking full advantage of teeth retention.
Another potential advantage of a removable retainer is that you can take it out and brush and floss your teeth with ease, which is more of a challenge with a permanent retainer. Although removable retainers can be very effective, they don’t tend to be as effective as permanent retainers, especially if they are not used as directed.Permanent Retainers
Permanent retainers are the clear choice for patients who want to “get it and forget it.” Once your permanent retainer is placed in your mouth, you won’t need to worry about daily retainer schedules, since it is permanently affixed to your teeth.
Because teeth begin to shift naturally as we age, a permanent retainer typically offers better long-term results for teeth straightening than a removable one. You can’t forget to put it in — it’s already there! Temporary retainers get lost or are forgotten on trips, and often fail to get used as often as they should be.
One drawback to permanent retainers is flossing. Some patients find it more difficult to floss with a permanent retainer, but we can show you effective ways to floss fairly quickly with your permanent retainer.
Some orthodontists may recommend a combination of the two; for example, a removable retainer for the top teeth and a permanent one for the lower ones because the lower teeth are smaller and tend to shift more.
Ultimately, the most important thing to remember is that wearing your retainer as directed is extremely important. As long as you follow our orthodontist’s advice, you will get the best results from your retainer, regardless of its type.